Vehicle equipment for autonomous vehicle enhancement system

ABSTRACT

The present application is directed to an Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System (AVES) and method for monitoring and managing a virtual or existing fleet of autonomous vehicles in a transportation network and dispatching the autonomous vehicles to users. The AVES includes an AVES Central Operations Center (COC) that communicates with AVES vehicle equipment installed in the autonomous vehicles and AVES applications installed on computing devices accessible by the users. The AVES improves the operating efficiency of a transportation network by monitoring the condition of autonomous vehicles, optimizing the geographical distribution of the autonomous vehicles and optimizing assignment of the autonomous vehicles to users requesting services. The AVES COC monitors and controls the autonomous vehicles via the AVES vehicle equipment. The AVES COC communicates with the users via the AVES applications to provide services to the users. The AVES vehicle equipment and the AVES applications installed on the computing devices communicate with each other to fulfill user request for services.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/502,817, filed on May 8, 2017, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The U.S. Patent Applications titled “Autonomous Vehicle EnhancementSystem,” “Central Operations Center for Autonomous Vehicle EnhancementSystem,” and “Mobile Device for Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System,”all filed on even date herewith, which also claim the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/502,817, are herein incorporated byreference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application generally relates to augmenting the operation ofautonomous vehicles, and more particularly relates to systems andmethods for remotely monitoring and controlling a fleet of autonomousvehicles in a transportation network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Auto companies are developing autonomous vehicles for commercial andpersonal use on existing roadways for a variety of applications,including but not limited to personal taxi services, delivery services,etc. In the context of the present application, autonomous vehiclerefers to a vehicle equipped with an automated driving system capable ofperforming all aspects of dynamic driving that can be managed by a humandriver. It is envisioned that networks of autonomous vehicles will beavailable, similar to a network of taxis, buses or delivery vans,whereby a user can request an autonomous vehicle to pick-up, transportand drop off passengers, or pick-up, transport, and deliver packages, orthe like. With different companies developing autonomous vehicles,existing autonomous vehicles have certain functional limitations at thisearly developmental stage of the technology because of a lack ofstandardization. It is desirable to provide a universal/generic solutionto allow a transportation network company to remotely monitor anddynamically control different autonomous vehicles in its fleet toprovide optimized consistent operation, functionality, safety andquality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present application is directed to an Autonomous Vehicle EnhancementSystem (AVES) and method for monitoring and managing a fleet ofregistered autonomous vehicles in a transportation network anddispatching the autonomous vehicles in the fleet to registered users ofthe transportation network. The AVES includes an AVES Central OperationsCenter (COC) that is in operative communication with AVES vehicleequipment installed in each of the autonomous vehicles in the fleet andAVES applications installed on computing devices accessible by the usersof the transportation network. The AVES maximizes the overall efficiencyof the operations of a transportation network by monitoring thecondition of autonomous vehicles in the fleet, optimizing thedistribution of the fleet of autonomous vehicles throughout thetransportation network's geographic area and optimizing assignment ofthe autonomous vehicles in the fleet to users requesting transportationservices. The AVES COC monitors and controls the autonomous vehicles inthe fleet via the AVES vehicle equipment. The AVES COC communicates withthe users of the transportation network via the AVES applicationsinstalled on the computing devices to provide transportation networkservices to the users. The AVES vehicle equipment and the AVESapplications installed on the computing devices communicate with eachother to fulfill user request for transportation services.

In one embodiment, Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System (AVES) vehicleequipment configured to be installed on an autonomous vehicle and methodof operating the AVES vehicle equipment for guiding an autonomousvehicle, includes an AVES vehicle control system configured to beoperably connected to a vehicle computer system of the autonomousvehicle, the AVES vehicle control system being in communication with anAVES Central Operations Center (COC); an Interactive Voice Response(IVR) system including a microphone and speaker, the IVR beingoperatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system forcommunicating with the AVES COC; and an interactive touchscreenoperatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system forcommunicating with the AVES COC. The AVES vehicle control systemtransmits a vehicle ID, real-time vehicle location, real-time vehicleavailability, real-time vehicle operational state, real-time vehiclecondition and real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level to the AVES COC.The AVES vehicle control system receives from the AVES COC an assigneduser trip request including unique trip ID, trip PIN and tripinformation. The trip information includes pickup location, pickupdate/time, destination location, any intermediate stop location(s) andtrip route. The AVES vehicle control system guides the autonomousvehicle to the pickup location at the pickup time by transmitting to thevehicle computer system of the autonomous vehicle at least one of thetrip information and driving commands. The IVR system and/or theinteractive touchscreen identifies the unique trip ID and prompts theuser for the trip PIN to authenticate the trip request. The AVES vehiclecontrol system guides the autonomous vehicle along the trip route afterreceiving the trip from the user and authenticating the trip request.

In some embodiments, the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment further includes a scanning antennathat scans for a signal encoded with the unique trip ID, which istransmitted by an AVES application executed on a user device.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, in the terminal phase of a userpickup the AVES vehicle control system detects the signal encoded withthe unique trip ID, guides the autonomous vehicle toward the userdevice, stops the autonomous vehicle and unlocks the doors of theautonomous vehicle.

In some embodiments, the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment further includes an interior videocamera operatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system forsending images of the interior of the autonomous vehicle to the AVESCOC.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, at least one of the IVR system andthe interactive touchscreen receives a user emergency alert and sendsthe user emergency alert to the AVES COC, and the AVES vehicle controlsystem initiates an emergency protocol where the interior video cameraand the IVR are activated so that AVES COC can assess the useremergency.

In some embodiments, the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment further includes a signal emitterthat transmits a signal encoded with the unique trip ID to be receivedby the AVES application executed on the user device.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, at least one of the IVR system andthe interactive touchscreen receives a modification request from theuser to alter the trip information and sends the modification request toalter the trip information to the AVES COC.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, the AVES vehicle control systemreceives an altered trip route confirmation request from the AVES COC,and at least one of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreenprompts the user to accept or reject the altered trip route.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, when the autonomous vehiclearrives at the destination location or intermediate stop location, theIVR system announces arrival at the destination location or intermediatestop location and the interactive touchscreen displays an announcementof arrival at the destination location or intermediate stop location.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, when the autonomous vehiclearrives at the destination location or intermediate stop location, atleast one of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreen prompts theuser to confirm whether the user wishes to terminate the trip, wishesfor the autonomous vehicle to wait for the user to return to theautonomous vehicle, or wishes to go to a new destination.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, if the AVES vehicle control systemdoes not receive user confirmation about whether the user wishes toterminate the trip, wishes for the autonomous vehicle to wait for theuser to return to the autonomous vehicle, or wishes to go to a newdestination, an interior video camera and the IVR are activated so thatAVES COC can assess whether the user is still present in the autonomousvehicle.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, if the AVES vehicle control systemdetects that the autonomous vehicle is disabled or that the autonomousvehicle has an operational malfunction, the AVES vehicle control systemactivates the autonomous vehicle's hazard flashers, notifies the AVESCOC that the autonomous vehicle is disabled or that the autonomousvehicle has an operational malfunction, activates an interior videocamera and/or an exterior video camera in the autonomous vehicle andattempts to guide the autonomous vehicle to a safe location.

In some embodiments of the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment, if the AVES vehicle control systemloses communication with the AVES COC, the AVES vehicle control systemguides the autonomous vehicle to complete the trip route and stores thetrip information in a local memory for billing purposes.

In some embodiments, the above AVES vehicle equipment and method ofoperating the AVES vehicle equipment further includes a trunk videocamera and/or one or more trunk sensors operatively connected to theAVES vehicle control system for determining whether items are present inthe trunk of the autonomous vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description, isbetter understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary embodiments areshown in the drawings, it being understood, however, that the presentapplication is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary Autonomous VehicleEnhancement System (AVES);

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an AVES Central Operations Center(COC) of the exemplary AVES of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of AVES vehicle equipment of theexemplary AVES of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of AVES application of the exemplaryAVES of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B show an exemplary flow diagram for the operation of theexemplary AVES of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Before the various exemplary embodiments are described in furtherdetail, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limitedto the particular embodiments described. It is also to be understoodthat the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describingparticular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope ofthe claims of the present invention.

In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like features of thesystems and methods of the present invention. Accordingly, althoughcertain descriptions may refer only to certain figures and referencenumerals, it should be understood that such descriptions might beequally applicable to like reference numerals in other figures.

The present invention is directed to Autonomous Vehicle EnhancementSystem (AVES) 10 for monitoring and controlling a fleet of autonomousvehicles 20 throughout a geographic area of a transportation network andproviding transportation services to users in the transportationnetwork. AVES 10 allows autonomous vehicles 20 in the transportationnetwork to be remotely monitored and controlled so that the autonomousvehicles 20 can be efficiently managed to provide transportationservices to users in the transportation network without the need forhuman operational involvement. In accordance with particular embodimentsof the present invention, the fleet of autonomous vehicles 20 cancomprise a commonly-owned fleet of vehicles, or may also includeindividually-owned vehicles that are part of the available fleet at theowner's discretion, much like current taxi services and fleets.

As shown in FIG. 1, AVES 10 comprises an AVES Central Operations Center(COC) 100, AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on each autonomousvehicle 20 in the fleet and AVES applications 300 installed on computingdevices 30 accessible by users.

AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed oneach autonomous vehicle 20 to monitor and control autonomous vehicles 20in the fleet. AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES vehicle equipment 200via communication links that are established by means of suitablecommunication protocols (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, WI-FI®, ZIGBEE®, Ethernet,SAP®, SAS®, ATP, GSM, TCP/IP, etc.) and are, at least in part,established wirelessly. AVES COC 100 receives vehicle information fromAVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on each autonomous vehicle,including a unique vehicle ID 402, real-time vehicle location 404 (e.g.,GPS coordinates), real-time vehicle availability 406, real-time vehicleoperational state 408, real-time vehicle condition 410 and real-timevehicle fuel/power-charge level 412. Real-time vehicle availability 406may include information regarding whether the autonomous vehicle 20 haspicked up a hailing user for an assigned trip request or has dropped ofa hailing user after completion of an assigned trip request.Alternatively, an autonomous vehicle 20 may be “off duty” and thereforenot available for trip requests until back on-line, for example, if aparticular vehicle 20 is an individually-owned vehicle that istemporarily added to the fleet at the owner's discretion. Real-timevehicle operational state 408 may include information regarding theoperational state of the mechanical and electrical systems of theautonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition 410 may includeinformation regarding state of cleanliness of the autonomous vehicle 20.Real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level 412 may include informationregarding at least one of a vehicle travel distance range, a percentageof fuel tank or electrical battery capacity available and units ofavailable power or energy. AVES COC 100 uses the vehicle informationreceived from AVES vehicle equipment 200 to monitor the fleet ofautonomous vehicles 20 via the AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed oneach autonomous vehicle 20 to determine the availability of autonomousvehicles 20 in the fleet and to assign available autonomous vehicles 20in the fleet to an active pool of autonomous vehicles 20 that are readyfor dispatch.

AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES applications 300 installed oncomputing devices 30 to receive service requests (e.g., trip requests)from users. AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES application 300 viacommunication links that are established by means of suitablecommunication protocols (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, WI-FI®, ZIGBEE®, Ethernet,SAP®, SAS®, ATP, GSM, TCP/IP, etc.) and are, at least in part,established wirelessly. AVES COC 100 receives trip requests from hailingusers via AVES applications 300 installed on computing devices 30. AVESCOC 100 receives from AVES applications 300 installed on computingdevices 30 a unique user ID 502 associated with each user trip request504 and trip information 506 associated with each user trip request 504.Trip information 506 may include pickup location, pickup date/time,destination location and intermediate stop location(s).

In response to a user trip request 504, AVES COC 100 selects anautonomous vehicle 20 from the active pool to respond to the triprequest 504. For each user trip request 504, AVES COC 100 generates aunique trip ID 602 and corresponding unique trip PIN 604, and determinesa trip route 606 based on trip information 506. Trip route 606 includesinformation about the expected mileage and duration of the trip. AVESCOC 100 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 from the active pool that isoptimally capable of fulfilling the trip request according to determinedtrip route 606. Once AVES COC 100 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 tofulfill trip request 504, AVES COC 100 sends vehicle assignmentinformation to the hailing user via AVES application 300, including tripID 602, trip PIN 604, trip route 606, and vehicle ID 402 and vehicledescription 414 for the autonomous vehicle 20 assigned to fulfill triprequest 504.

AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on aselected autonomous vehicle 20 to guide said selected autonomous vehicle20 to the hailing user. AVES COC 100 sends trip assignment informationto AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on the selected autonomousvehicle 20, including trip ID 602, trip PIN 604, trip route 606 and/ortrip information 506, for the selected autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfilltrip request 504. Also, AVES COC 100 communicates with AVES vehicleequipment 200 on autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, which arenot assigned to respond to trip requests from hailing users, to guideautonomous vehicle 20 to standby locations throughout the transportationnetwork's geographic area.

As shown in FIG. 2, AVES COC 100 includes one or more computer servers120 in a centralized or distributed computing architecture. Computerserver 120 includes an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system 130 and aknowledge base 140. Computer server 120 stores and maintains vehiclerecords 400 for each of the autonomous vehicles 20 registered in thetransportation network, user records 500 for each of the users 30registered in the transportation network and trip records 600 for eachtrip performed by the transportation network.

The functions of computer server 120 described herein may be implementedusing computer applications comprising computer program code stored in anon-transitory computer-readable medium that is executed by a computerprocessor. The functions of computer server 120 described herein mayalso be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as fieldprogrammable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logicdevices or the like. Further, functions of computer server 120 describedherein may be implemented using some combination of computer program(s)executed by a computer processor and programmable hardware devices.Thus, computer server 120 of the present application comprises suitablecomputer hardware and software for performing the desired functions andare not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

The executable computer program code may comprise one or more physicalor logical blocks of computer instructions, which may be organized as anobject, procedure, process or function. For example, the executablecomputer program code may be distributed over several different codepartitions or segments, among different programs, and across severaldevices. Accordingly, the executable computer program need not bephysically located together, but may comprise separate instructionsstored in different locations which, when joined logically together,comprise the computer application and achieve the stated purpose for thecomputer application.

As shown in FIG. 3, AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on eachautonomous vehicle 20 includes an AVES vehicle control system 210,Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System 220 including a microphone andspeaker, interactive touchscreen 230, scanning antenna 240, signalemitter 250, one or more cameras 260 and one or more sensors 270. AVESvehicle control system 210 is configured to be operably connected to anautonomous driving system (e.g., CAN bus) of the autonomous vehicle 20to retrieve vehicle data and to guide the autonomous vehicle 20 byproviding trip information, route information, driving commands, etc.AVES vehicle control system 210 provides General Purpose Input/Output(GPIO) functions that can be controlled remotely by AVES COC 100 andthat can be used to send vehicle status information to AVES COC 100.AVES vehicle control system 210 communicates with AVES COC 100 to sendand receive the necessary data for guiding autonomous vehicle 20. AVESvehicle control system 210 communicates with AVES COC 100 viacommunication links that are established by means of suitablecommunication protocols (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, WI-FI®, ZIGBEE®, Ethernet,SAP®, SAS®, ATP, GSM, TCP/IP, etc.) and are, at least in part,established wirelessly.

The functions of AVES vehicle control system 210 described herein may beimplemented using computer applications comprising computer program codestored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that is executed bya computer processor. The functions of AVES vehicle control system 210described herein may also be implemented in programmable hardwaredevices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable arraylogic, programmable logic devices or the like. Further, functions ofAVES vehicle control system 210 described herein may be implementedusing some combination of computer program(s) executed by a computerprocessor and programmable hardware devices. Thus, AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 of the present application comprises suitable computerhardware and software for performing the desired functions and are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

AVES vehicle control system 210 on each autonomous vehicle 20communicates with computer server 120 to send the necessary data forAVES COC 100 to monitor the fleet of autonomous vehicles 20. AVESvehicle control system 210 installed on each autonomous vehicle 20 sendscomputer server 120 vehicle information, including unique vehicle ID402, real-time vehicle location 404 (e.g., GPS coordinates), real-timevehicle availability 406, real-time vehicle operational state 408,real-time vehicle condition 410 and real-time vehicle fuel/power-chargelevel 412. Real-time vehicle availability 406 may include informationregarding whether the autonomous vehicle 20 has picked up a hailing userfor an assigned trip request or has dropped off a hailing user aftercompletion of an assigned trip request. Real-time vehicle availability406 may be established using at least one of user input to IVR System220, user input to interactive touchscreen 230, images from cameras 260and signals from sensors 270 to determine whether a user has entered orexited autonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehicle operational state 408may include information regarding the operational state of themechanical and electrical systems of the autonomous vehicle. Real-timevehicle operational state 408 may be established using the connection ofAVES vehicle control system 210 to the autonomous driving system (e.g.,CAN bus) of the autonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition 410may include information regarding state of cleanliness of the autonomousvehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition 410 may be established using atleast one of user input to IVR System 220, user input to interactivetouchscreen 230, images from cameras 260 and signals from sensors 270 todetermine whether the autonomous vehicle 20 is soiled, littered, or indisrepair. Real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level 412 may includeinformation regarding at least one of a vehicle travel distance range, apercentage of fuel tank or electrical battery capacity available andunits of available power or energy. Real-time vehicle fuel/power-chargelevel 412 may be established using the connection of AVES vehiclecontrol system 210 to the autonomous driving system (e.g., CAN bus) ofthe autonomous vehicle 20.

Also, AVES vehicle control system 210 installed on selected autonomousvehicle 20 communicates with computer server 120 to receive thenecessary data for guiding selected autonomous vehicle 20 to the hailinguser. AVES vehicle control system 210 installed on selected autonomousvehicle 20 receives trip assignment information from computer server120, including trip ID 602, trip PIN 604, trip route 606 and/or tripinformation 506, for the selected autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill triprequest 504. Further, AVES vehicle control system 210 installed onautonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, which are not assigned torespond to trip requests from hailing users, communicate with computerserver 120 to receive the necessary data for guiding autonomous vehicle20 to standby locations throughout the transportation network'sgeographic area.

A user may access the transportation network services via an AVESapplication 300 installed on a computing device 30 that is incommunication with AVES COC 100. AVES application 300 communicates withAVES COC 100 via communication links that are established by means ofsuitable communication protocols (e.g., BLUETOOTH®, WI-FI®, ZIGBEE®,Ethernet, SAP®, SAS®, ATP, GSM, TCP/IP, etc.) and are, at least in part,established wirelessly. AVES application 300 is embodied in a set ofcomputer executable instructions stored in a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium, which are executed by a processor of thecomputing device 30 to provide the user access to AVES COC 100 torequest transportation network services. Computing device 30 may be anysuitable device (e.g., PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) forexecuting AVES application 300 to perform the functions describedhereafter, and is preferably, a mobile computing device (e.g., tablet,smartphone, etc.). Alternatively, a trip may be requested via othermethods, such as via telephone or Application Programming Interface(API), or even in person at a kiosk with an API. For instance, AVES COCmay be configured to dynamically select and assign autonomous vehicle(s)20 to fulfill trip request(s) 504 generated by an API or other systemthat has been previously registered and approved to authorize such triprequest(s) 504.

AVES application 300 installed on computing device 30 communicates withcomputer server 120 to send trip request 504 and receive vehicleassignment information for trip request 504. AVES application 300installed on a computing device 30 sends computer server 120 a uniqueuser ID 502 associated with user trip request 504 and trip information506 associated with user trip request 504. Trip information 506 mayinclude pickup location, pickup date/time, destination location andintermediate stop location(s). Once computer server 120 selects anautonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill trip request 504, AVES application 300installed on computing device 30 receives vehicle assignment informationfrom computer server 120, including trip ID 602, trip PIN 604, triproute 606, and vehicle ID 402 and vehicle description 414 for theautonomous vehicle 20 assigned to fulfill trip request 504.

Computer server 120 of AVES COC 100 maintains the necessary datamonitoring and managing a fleet of autonomous vehicles 20 in thetransportation network and dispatching autonomous vehicles 20 to usersof the transportation network. Computer server 120 stores and maintainsvehicle records 400 for each of the autonomous vehicles 20 registered inthe transportation network, user records 500 for each of the users 30registered in the transportation network and trip records 600 for eachtrip performed by the transportation network.

Each autonomous vehicle 20 has a corresponding vehicle record 400maintained in computer server 120, which may include a unique vehicle ID402, real-time vehicle location 404 (e.g., GPS coordinates), real-timevehicle availability 406, real-time vehicle operational state 408,real-time vehicle condition 410, real-time vehicle fuel/power-chargelevel 412, vehicle description 414, vehicle owner specifiedrestriction(s) 416 and vehicle billing or payment account 418. Real-timevehicle availability 406 may include information regarding whether theautonomous vehicle 20 is in the active pool, has been assigned torespond a trip request from a hailing user, is waiting or en route topickup a hailing user for an assigned trip request, has picked up ahailing user for an assigned trip request or has dropped of a hailinguser after completion of an assigned trip request. Real-time vehicleoperational state 408 may include information regarding the operationalstate of the mechanical and electrical systems of the autonomous vehicle20. Real-time vehicle condition 410 may include information regardingstate of cleanliness of the autonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehiclefuel/power-charge level 412 may include information regarding at leastone of a vehicle travel distance range, a percentage of fuel tank orelectrical battery capacity available and units of available power orenergy. Vehicle description 414 may include a general vehicledescription (e.g., type, make, model, year, etc.), vehicle photograph,passenger capacity, vehicle travel range, state DMV vehicle registrationinformation, insurance information, and repair and maintenance history.At the time of registration (which may be updated as necessary), vehicleowner/operator may specify restriction(s) 416, which may include anallowable operational trip area that the autonomous vehicle 20 maytravel (e.g., defined by a radius around a latitude/longitude referencepoint, or City, County, State or other geographic boundaries), allowabledays and times when the autonomous vehicle 20 may be assigned to a trip,and minimum revenue rate for a trip to which the autonomous vehicle maybe assigned.

Each user has a corresponding user record 500 maintained in computerserver 120, which may include a unique user ID 502, trip request(s) 504associated with user ID 502, trip information 506 corresponding to eachtrip request 504, user preference(s) 508, real-time user location 510and user billing or payment account 512. Trip information 506 mayinclude pickup location, pickup date/time, destination location andintermediate stop location(s). User preference(s) 508 may includepricing, priority, speed of trip, vehicle capacity, cabin temperature,etc. User preference(s) 508 may be provided at the time of userregistration with the transportation network or at the time of making aspecific trip request. Real-time user location 510 may be establishedusing the GPS function of the computing device on which AVES application300 is installed.

Each trip request 504 has a corresponding trip record 600 maintained incomputer server 120, which may include unique user ID 502 associatedwith user trip request 504, trip information 506 associated with triprequest 504, vehicle ID 402 assigned to trip request 504, trip ID 602and trip PIN 604 associated with trip request 504, trip route 606determined for trip request 504, trip modification 608 requested by userfor trip request 504 and altered trip route 610 provided for triprequest 504.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in operation, computer server 120 monitorsthe fleet of autonomous vehicles 20 via AVES vehicle control system 210installed on each autonomous vehicle 20 to determine real-time vehiclelocation 404, real-time vehicle availability 406, real-time vehicleoperational state 408, real-time vehicle condition 410 and real-timevehicle fuel/power-charge level 412 of each autonomous vehicle 20 in thefleet. For example, computer server 120 may intermittently query AVESvehicle control system 210 installed on each autonomous vehicle 20 inthe fleet at a specified frequency (e.g., every minute). Based on thevehicle information queried from the AVES vehicle control systems 210 ofautonomous vehicles 20 in the fleet, computer server 120 dynamicallyassigns autonomous vehicles 20 to an active pool if the autonomousvehicles 20 are available, are in acceptable operational state (e.g., nofault indication), are in acceptable condition (e.g., no alert ordetection of a dangerous or unsanitary condition) and have acceptablefuel/power-charge level (e.g., higher than pre-defined minimum level).Real-time vehicle operational state 408 may include informationregarding the operational state of the mechanical and electrical systemsof the autonomous vehicle 20 (e.g., low tire pressure, loss of heatingor air conditioning, mechanical problem, etc.). Real-time vehicleoperational state 408 may be established using the connection of AVESvehicle control system 210 to the autonomous driving system (e.g., CANbus) of the autonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition 410 mayinclude information regarding state of cleanliness of the autonomousvehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition 410 may be established using atleast one of user input to IVR System 220, user input to interactivetouchscreen 230, images from cameras 260 and signals from sensors 270 todetermine whether the autonomous vehicle 20 is soiled, littered, or indisrepair. Computer server 120 guides autonomous vehicles 20 in thefleet, which are not in acceptable operational state or condition, toservice locations for maintenance service.

Computer server 120 guides autonomous vehicles 20 in the fleet, which donot have acceptable fuel/power-charge level, to fueling/power-chargingstations for fueling/power-charging. Electric autonomous vehicles 20 maybe guided to power-charging stations and charged using systems andmethods as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/956,998,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/957,022, U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/957,041, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/957,057,which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

Computer server 120 receives a trip request 504 from a hailing user viaa selected AVES application 300 on a selected computing device 30, thetrip request 504 including a unique user ID 502 associated with thehailing user and trip information 506 including pickup location, pickupdate/time, destination location, and any intermediate stop location(s).Computing device 30 may be any suitable device (e.g., PC, laptop,tablet, smartphone, etc.) for executing AVES application 300 to performthe functions described hereafter, and is preferably, a mobile computingdevice (e.g., tablet, smartphone, etc.). Alternatively, a trip may berequested via other methods, such as telephone or ApplicationProgramming Interface (API), as discussed above. For instance, AVES COCmay be configured to dynamically select and assign autonomous vehicle(s)20 to fulfill trip request(s) 504 generated by an API or other systemthat has been previously registered and approved to authorize such triprequest(s) 504. For example, in the event of an unexpected schoolclosing due to an adverse situation, an API may receive a broadcastnotification from the school's alert system and automatically generatetrip request(s) 504. Parents would no longer have to unexpectedly leavework for such events to pick up their children. At the time ofregistration for this service, a parent would receive a unique emergencyride identifier, which may be displayed by a selected autonomous vehicle20 assigned to fulfill the trip request 504 so that the child would knowwhich autonomous vehicle 20 is assigned to the child.

Computer server 120 determines a trip route 606 based on the tripinformation 506 for the trip request 504. For example, ArtificialIntelligence System 130 executes a Route Determining Algorithm todetermine the trip route 606 (including estimated trip duration) forfulfilling the trip request 504 based on the trip information 506 andinformation in knowledge base 140. Knowledge base 140 includeshistorical traffic conditions 700, real-time traffic conditions 702,scheduled road closures 704, scheduled events 706 and scheduledconstruction 708. Route Determining Algorithm uses trip information 506(e.g., pickup location, pickup date/time, destination location and anyintermediate stop location) and information from knowledge base 140(e.g., the historical traffic conditions 700, real-time trafficconditions 702, scheduled road closures 704, scheduled events 706 andscheduled construction 708) to determine the trip route that isoptimally suited for fulfilling the trip request 504. Historical datacan identify popular pick-up and drop-off locations based upon analysisof existing trip requests. The AVES COC can also recognize “popular”pick-up and drop-off locations based on an ongoing record of triprequests, and coordinated based on patterns related to the time of day(e.g., morning and evening rush-hour; the day (e.g., weekday orweekend); time of year (e.g., summer versus winter); or varying timedurations (e.g., daily patterns, weekly patterns, or longer timeframes).

Computer server 120 selects an autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill the triprequest 504. For example, Artificial Intelligence System 130 executes aMatchmaking Algorithm to select the autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill thetrip request 504 based on the determined trip route 606 and informationin knowledge base 140. Knowledge base 140 includes user preference(s)508, and for each autonomous vehicle 20 in the fleet, real-time vehiclelocation data 404, real-time vehicle availability data 406, real-timevehicle operational state 408, real-time vehicle condition data 410,real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level indication 412, vehicledescription 414, vehicle owner specified restriction(s) 416, historicaltraffic conditions 700, real-time traffic conditions 702, scheduled roadclosures 704, scheduled events 706 and scheduled construction 708.Matchmaking Algorithm uses the determined trip route 606 and informationfrom knowledge base 140 (e.g., user preference(s) 508, real-time vehiclelocation data 404, real-time vehicle availability data 406, real-timevehicle operational state 408, real-time vehicle condition data 410,real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level indication 412, vehicledescription 414, vehicle owner specified restriction(s) 416, historicaltraffic conditions 700, real-time traffic conditions 702, scheduled roadclosures 704, scheduled events 706 and scheduled construction 708) toselect the autonomous vehicle from the active pool that is optimallysuited to travel the determined route 606 to fulfill the trip request504.

If the trip request 504 exceeds an operational range of any availableautonomous vehicle 20 in active pool, computer server 120 selects two ormore autonomous vehicles 20 to sequentially fulfill the trip request504. For example, Artificial Intelligence System 130 executes theMatchmaking Algorithm to implement multi-hop routing to select two ormore autonomous vehicles that are optimally suited to travel thedetermined route in sequential segments to fulfill the trip request. Themulti-hop routing executed by Artificial Intelligence System 130 issimilar to how airlines sometimes utilize multi-segment trips fortravelling long distances. Computer server 120 automatically offers amulti-segment trip route 606 to the user in response to trip request504. Artificial Intelligence System 130 may implement multi-hop routingto provide a convenient location and staggered drop-off and pickup timesfor the vehicle change to allow for a rest stop (e.g., restroom stop,food stop, etc.) and to avoid unnecessary waiting charges. Computerserver 120 coordinates the vehicle change by guiding the two or moreselected autonomous vehicles 20 to a vehicle change location at aspecified drop-off time and pickup time.

If the trip request 504 exceeds a passenger capacity or load capacity ofany available autonomous vehicle 20 in the active pool, computer server120 selects two or more autonomous vehicles 20 to simultaneously fulfillthe trip request 504. For example, Artificial Intelligence System 130executes the Matchmaking Algorithm to implement multi-vehicle routing toselect two or more autonomous vehicles that are optimally suited tosimultaneously travel the determined trip route 606 to fulfill the triprequest. Computer server 120 automatically offers two or more autonomousvehicles 20 to the user in response to trip request 504. Multi-vehiclerouting is implemented by automatically coordinating the drivingpatterns of the two or more autonomous vehicles 20 to stay in an ad-hoccaravan formation. By maintaining an ad-hoc caravan formation,passengers (e.g., members of a large family, etc.) can be keptrelatively close together. To this end, the selected autonomous vehicles20 can be in communication with each other, as well as with AVES COC100, during the trip, so that if one vehicle deviates from the triproute 606 (e.g., breaks down or gets stuck in traffic), the othervehicle will be aware of such deviation and can make accommodations asdeemed necessary with assistance form AVES COC 100.

Computer server 120 selects autonomous vehicle(s) 20 to fulfill the triprequest 504 and unilaterally and automatically assigns the selectedautonomous vehicle(s) 20 to fulfill the trip request 504. This approachdiffers from conventional approaches implemented by existing“ride-sharing” companies or transportation network companies. Typically,a transportation network company offers a trip opportunity to vehicleslocated near the hailing user and then the transportation networkcompany waits for acceptance of the trip opportunity by a vehicle. Bycontrast, AVES COC 100 of the present application unilaterally,unequivocally and automatically assigns the selected autonomousvehicle(s) 20 that is optimally suited to fulfill the trip request 504without rejection, uncertainty or delay. This approach ensures that AVESCOC 100 is able to assign the most suitable autonomous vehicle 20 for atrip request 504, and not just offer the trip request 504 to autonomousvehicle(s) 20 merely located near the hailing party but which may beinsufficient for successful and efficient completion of the trip requestfor other reasons. By removing the human factor, AVES 10 is able tooperate quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. Other than thehailing user that initiates a trip request 504, there is no humanintervention in the “instant” and automatic selection and assignmentprocess, which allows for dispatch of autonomous vehicles 20 to hailingusers without delay. Additionally, with familiarity with AVES 10, a usercan be confident that AVES 10 will deliver an autonomous vehicle 20 thatis capable of fulfilling a trip request 504.

If, before the completion of a scheduled pickup date/time for a triprequest 504, the Matchmaking Algorithm determines that a newly availableautonomous vehicle 20 in the active pool is better suited for fulfillingthe trip request 504 than the previously selected autonomous vehicle504, the Artificial Intelligence System 130 unilaterally andautomatically selects and substitutes the newly available autonomousvehicle 20 to fulfill the trip request in lieu of the previouslyselected vehicle 20. This reassignment process is automatic andinvisible to the hailing user, who may only see the end-result of thereassignment of autonomous vehicles 20 as a reduced wait time for anautonomous vehicle 20. AVES COC 100 suspends the reassignment process ata specified period of time before the scheduled pickup time for a triprequest 504 and before vehicle description 414 of the selectedautonomous vehicle 20 is sent to AVES application 300.

Unlike a transportation network that uses human drivers, AVES 10 canimprove yield management and operational efficiency because AVES COC 100can automatically and unilaterally assign and reassign autonomousvehicles 20 to fulfill trip requests 504 without negatively affecting aworking relationship between a transportation network company and itsdrivers. For example, when a driver accepts a trip request through atransportation network company, the driver proceeds toward a requestedlocation with the expectation of revenue from the accepted trip request,but if a transportation network company were to unexpectedly reassignthat trip request to another driver, it would have a negative effectworking relationship between the transportation network company and thedisplaced driver.

For each trip request 504 received by AVES COC 100, computer server 120generates a unique trip ID 602 and corresponding unique trip PIN 604corresponding to the trip request 504. Further, computer server 120associates trip request 504 and corresponding trip information 506, userID 502 for the hailing user, vehicle ID 402 for the selected autonomousvehicle 20, trip ID 602 and corresponding trip PIN 604 for the triprequest 504 and determined trip route 606 for the trip request 504 in atrip record 600 that is stored in computer server 120. Once AVES COC 100selects an autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill trip request 504, AVES COC100 communicates with AVES vehicle equipment 200 installed on selectedautonomous vehicle 20 to guide selected autonomous vehicle 20 to the tothe pickup location at the pickup time. Computer server 120 sends tripassignment information to AVES vehicle control system 210 installed onselected autonomous vehicle 20, including trip ID 602, trip PIN 604,trip route 606 and/or trip information 506, for the selected autonomousvehicle 20 to fulfill trip request 504. AVES vehicle control system 210transmits the trip information 506 and/or trip route 606 for the triprequest 504 to the vehicle computer system (e.g., CAN bus) for guidingthe autonomous vehicle 20 to the pickup location at the pickup time.Alternatively, AVES vehicle control system 210 transmits drivingcommands to the vehicle computer system (e.g., CAN bus) of autonomousvehicle 20 based on the trip information 506 and/or trip route 606 forguiding the autonomous vehicle 20 to the pickup location at the pickuptime. If a trip request 504 is reassigned to a newly selected autonomousvehicle 20, computer server 120 sends trip assignment information to theAVES vehicle control system 210 of the newly selected autonomous vehicle20 to guide the newly selected autonomous vehicle 20 to the to thepickup location at the pickup time. Also, computer server 120 divertsthe previously selected autonomous vehicle to another pickup location ora standby location. Further, computer server 120 updates trip record 600to replace the previously selected autonomous vehicle with the newlyselected autonomous.

Computer server 120 guides autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool,which are not assigned to respond to trip requests from hailing users,to standby locations throughout the transportation network's geographicarea. For example, Artificial Intelligence System 130, which includesknowledge base 140, executes a Vehicle Distribution OptimizationAlgorithm to determine standby locations for the autonomous vehicles 20in the fleet. Knowledge base 140 includes real-time vehicle locationdata 404 for the autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, historicalinformation regarding previous trip requests 504, real-time informationregarding current trip requests 504 and information regarding scheduledevents in the transportation network's geographic area. VehicleDistribution Optimization Algorithm uses current information (e.g.,current time of day, date, day of week and weather) and information fromknowledge base 140 (e.g., real-time vehicle location data 404 for theautonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, historical informationregarding previous trip requests 504, real-time information regardingcurrent trip requests 504 and information regarding scheduled events inthe transportation network's geographic area) to select standbylocations for autonomous vehicles 20 throughout the transportationnetwork's geographic area to achieve a vehicle distribution that isoptimally suited for fulfilling expected demand for trip requests.Standby locations may include fueling/power-charging stations, streetparking spaces, parking garages, airports and bus stations, schools, andtaxi queues. The real-time information regarding trip requests 504 andinformation regarding scheduled events in the transportation network'sgeographic area are received by the AVES COC from public messagingsystems, the AVES applications installed on computing devices accessibleby the users or the AVES vehicle equipment installed on the autonomousvehicles 20 in the fleet.

AVES COC 100 may direct autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, whichare not assigned to respond to trip requests from hailing users, to taxiqueues at locations that traditionally depend on the timeliness andefficiency of taxi queues (e.g., airports, public events, hotels, etc.).In response to a trip request 504 made via AVES application 300 asdescribed above, computer server 120 provides a trip ID 602 for the triprequest 504 and offers the user the ability to go to a taxi queue andpick the first available autonomous vehicle 20 if appropriate for thetrip request 504. Once the hailing party enters an autonomous vehicle 20in the taxi queue, the user provides the trip ID 602 via IVR System 220or interactive touchscreen 230. AVES vehicle control system 210transmits the trip ID 602 entered by the user to AVES COC 100, andcomputer server 120 sends trip assignment information to AVES vehiclecontrol system 210 of the selected autonomous vehicle 20, including tripID 602, trip route 606 and/or trip information 506, for the selectedautonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill trip request 504. AVES COC 100 monitorsthe number of trip requests 504 fulfilled by autonomous vehicles in taxiqueues, and directs additional autonomous vehicles as necessary to matchdemand.

AVES COC 100 may direct autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool, whichare not assigned to respond to trip requests from hailing users,fueling/power-charging stations for fueling/power-charging while waitingfor assignment to a trip request 504 in order to maintain fuel/powercharge levels of the autonomous vehicles 20 in the active pool as fullas possible and optimize the utilization rate of the autonomous vehiclesin the active pool. Electric autonomous vehicles 20 may be guided topower-charging stations and charged using systems and methods asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/956,998, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/957,022, U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/957,041, and U.S. patent application ser. No. 15/957,057, which arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

AVES COC 100 removes autonomous vehicles 20, which are not in acceptablevehicle operational state 408 or vehicle condition 410, from the activepool and guides those autonomous vehicles 20 to service locations formaintenance service. Real-time vehicle operational state 408 may includeinformation regarding the operational state of the mechanical andelectrical systems of the autonomous vehicle 20 (e.g., low tirepressure, loss of heating or air conditioning, mechanical problem,etc.). Real-time vehicle operational state 408 may be established usingthe connection of AVES vehicle control system 210 to the autonomousdriving system (e.g., CAN bus) of the autonomous vehicle 20. Real-timevehicle condition 410 may include information regarding state ofcleanliness of the autonomous vehicle 20. Real-time vehicle condition410 may be established using at least one of user input to IVR System220, user input to interactive touchscreen 230, images from cameras 260and signals from sensors 270 to determine whether the autonomous vehicle20 is soiled, littered, or in disrepair. After a trip is complete,cameras 260 may without intervention detect anomalies such as, apassenger still in the car, extra items in the autonomous vehicle 20since the start of the trip, stains, discarded food or drink containersor anything else that detracts from a clean environment in theautonomous vehicle 20. In the case of a forgotten valuable item, AVESCOC directs the autonomous vehicle 20 to a service location for itemretrieval and notifies the prior passenger of the forgotten item. Also,AVES COC 100 periodically (e.g., once a day) removes an autonomousvehicle 20 from the active pool and guides the autonomous vehicle to aservice location for inspection, cleaning, maintenance and/or service.In the event that an autonomous vehicle 20 picks up a user for a triprequest 504 in an unacceptable condition, the user may indicate theunacceptable condition and reject the autonomous vehicle 20 via theautonomous vehicle's IVR System 220 and/or interactive touchscreen 230.Upon receiving an indication of an unacceptable vehicle condition fromAVES vehicle control system 210 of the autonomous vehicle 20, AVES COCautomatically assigns a replacement autonomous vehicle 20 at highestpriority, and takes the autonomous vehicle 20 in unacceptable conditionout of the active pool and directs said autonomous vehicle 20 to aservice location.

AVES COC 100 sends vehicle assignment information to the hailing uservia AVES application 300, including unique trip ID 602, trip PIN 604,trip route 606, and vehicle ID 402 and vehicle description 414 for theautonomous vehicle 20 assigned to fulfill trip request 504. Also, AVESCOC 100 sends the hailing user via AVES application 300 real-timevehicle location progress updates, including estimated time untilarrival.

Once the assigned autonomous vehicle 20 and user's device 30 with AVESapplication 300 are within a specified distance, AVES 10 initiates avehicle/user finding protocol. During the vehicle/user finding protocol,AVES application 300 transmits a signal 302 encoded with the unique tripID 602 via the selected computing device 30 and AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 activates antenna 240 to scan for the AVES application'ssignal 302 encoded with the unique trip ID 602. For example, during thevehicle/user finding protocol, AVES application 300 automaticallyactivates a BLUETOOTH® transmitter in the computing device 30 totransmit signal 302 encoded with the unique trip ID 602. A 2.4 GHzfrequency band for BLUETOOTH® transmission and reception is disclosed,but any other suitable communication protocol may be used. Antenna 240may be a phased array antenna that is electronically steerable to scan360° for the signal transmission encoded with the trip ID 602 (e.g.,Bluetooth) from the selected computing device of the hailing user.Alternatively, antenna 240 may be a conventional directional antennathat is motorized to scan 360° for the signal transmission encoded withthe trip ID 602 (e.g., Bluetooth) from the selected computing device ofthe hailing user. Also, during the vehicle/user finding protocol, AVESvehicle control system 210 activates signal emitter 250 to transmit asignal 252 encoded with the unique trip ID 602 and AVES application 300activates a video camera on computing device 30 to sense the signalemitter's signal 252 encoded with the unique trip ID 602. For example,signal emitter 250 may be an omni-directional infrared emitter thattransmits a continuously modulated signal 252 encoded with the uniquetrip ID 602. AVES application 300 activates a video camera on computingdevice 30 to sense the uniquely modulated infrared signal emitted bysignal emitter 250.

AVES vehicle control system 210 uses the signal transmission encodedwith the unique trip ID 602 that is detected by antenna 240 to guide theautonomous vehicle 20 toward the hailing user. AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 determines the location of the selected computing devicetransmitting the signal 302 encoded with the unique trip ID 602 based onthe direction of greatest received signal strength, which is indicativeof the direction the autonomous vehicle 20 should move toward in orderto intercept the selected computing device transmitting the signal 302encoded with the trip ID 602. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, as theuser uses the camera of the computing device 30 to scan an area for theselected autonomous vehicle 20 assigned to the trip request 504, theuniquely modulated infrared signal emitted by signal emitter 250 of theautonomous vehicle 20 causes an “augmented reality” image (e.g., aflashing arrow pointing toward the autonomous vehicle 20) to besuperimposed on the screen over the image captured by the camera. Thus,the hailing user can quickly and easily identify the selected autonomousvehicle 20 assigned to the trip request 504 from amongst a plethora ofvehicles in an area. Optionally, AVES application 300 may provideaudible feedback and/or haptic feedback through the computing device 30to guide a visually-impaired user toward the selected autonomous vehicle20 transmitting the signal 252 encoded with the trip ID 602. Forexample, AVES application 300 may provide audible directional guidance(e.g., “left/straight/right”) and caution guidance (e.g. “Caution!Traffic approaching from your left”).

Once autonomous vehicle 20 is within a specified distance to the hailinguser, which may be determined based on the strength of the signalreceived from the user's computing device or other data, along with ananalysis of local conditions, AVES vehicle control system 210 determinesthat it has made a terminal intercept of the user and stops theautonomous vehicle 20. After AVES vehicle control system 210 stopsautonomous vehicle 20, AVES vehicle control system 210 activates thehazard flashers, unlocks the doors and trunk and waits for the hailinguser to enter the autonomous vehicle 20. The interconnection betweenAVES vehicle control system 210 and the computer system (e.g., CAN bus)of the autonomous vehicle 20, allows AVES vehicle control system 210 toactivate the hazard flashers, unlock the doors and trunk and detect whenthe hailing user has entered the autonomous vehicle 20 (e.g., detectwhen a vehicle door has opened and closed). Also, AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 may determine whether items have been placed in the trunk bydetecting whether the trunk has been opened and closed. Additionally,AVES vehicle equipment 200 may include camera(s) 260 and/or sensor(s)270 in the trunk space of the autonomous vehicle, which are connected toAVES vehicle control system 210, for determining whether items have beenleft behind in the trunk.

Once AVES vehicle control system 210 detects that a passenger hasentered the autonomous vehicle 20, AVES vehicle control system 210activates IVR System 220 to announce a welcome message and the uniquetrip ID 602 for the trip request 504. Also, AVES vehicle control system210 activates interactive touchscreen 230 to display the unique trip ID602 for the trip request 504. Further, AVES vehicle control system 210activates IVR System 220 and interactive touchscreen 230 to prompt theuser for the trip PIN 604 corresponding to the unique trip ID 602. OnceAVES vehicle control system 210 receives trip PIN 604 from the user,AVES vehicle control system 210 compares trip PIN 604 received from theuser to trip PIN 604 corresponding to unique trip ID 602. If trip PIN604 received from the user matches trip PIN 604 corresponding to uniquetrip ID 602, the user is verified. Additionally, AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 activates IVR System 220 and interactive touchscreen 230 toprompt the user to confirm the destination. The verification processhelps ensure that users do not get into the wrong autonomous vehicle 20and end up at the wrong destination. AVES vehicle control system 210will also check to make sure that any occupied seating position hassecured their seat-belts. If all the passengers are not belted in, AVESvehicle control system 210 activates IVR System 220 and interactivetouchscreen 230 to prompt the passengers to fasten their seatbelts.After the user is verified, the destination is confirmed and passengershave fastened their seatbelts, AVES vehicle control system 210 commandsautonomous vehicle 20 to begin the trip. AVES vehicle equipment 200 ofan autonomous vehicle 20 may be set to a sight-impaired mode by the uservia AVES application 300. In sight-impaired mode, AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 communicates with the user via IVR System 220.

In the event that an autonomous vehicle 20 picks up a user for a triprequest 504 in an unacceptable condition, the user may indicate theunacceptable condition and reject the autonomous vehicle 20 via theautonomous vehicle's IVR System 220 and/or interactive touchscreen 230.Upon receiving an indication of an unacceptable vehicle condition fromAVES vehicle control system 210 of the autonomous vehicle 20, AVES COCautomatically assigns a replacement autonomous vehicle 20 at highestpriority, and takes the autonomous vehicle 20 in unacceptable conditionout of the active pool and directs said autonomous vehicle 20 to aservice location.

As a trip progresses, interactive touchscreen 230 displays real-timetrip information, including trip route and real-time location on a map,estimated time of arrival, etc. Also, interactive touchscreen 230 mayprovide a soft key to temporarily halt the trip for a bathroom break,illness, etc., and IVR System 220 may programmed to recognize voicecommands to temporarily halt the trip for a bathroom break, illness,etc.

The user may make a trip modification request 505 with altered tripinformation 507 (e.g., changed intermediate stop location(s) and/ordestination location) while in transit by using IVR System 220,interactive touchscreen 230 or AVES application 300. AVES vehiclecontrol system 210 sends the trip modification request 505 with alteredtrip information 507 to AVES COC 100. Artificial Intelligence System 130executes the Route Determining Algorithm to determine an altered triproute 608 (including newly estimated trip duration and cost) forfulfilling the modification request 505 based on the altered tripinformation 507 and information in knowledge base 140, as describedabove with respect to ride request 504. Computer server 120 determineswhether the present autonomous vehicle is capable of fulfilling the tripmodification request 505 according to the altered trip route 608, aswell as if there is sufficient payment capacity by the requesting userfor the altered trip. If the present autonomous vehicle 20 is capable offulfilling the modification request 505 according to the altered triproute 608, computer server 120 confirms that the user accepts thealtered trip route 608 via the IVR system 220, the interactivetouchscreen 230 or the AVES application 300, and guides the presentautonomous vehicle 20 according to the altered trip route 608. If thepresent autonomous vehicle 20 is not capable of fulfilling the tripmodification request 505 according to the altered trip route 608,computer server 120 selects an alternative autonomous vehicle 20 forfulfilling the trip modification request 505, confirms that the useraccepts the alternative autonomous vehicle 20 via the IVR system 220,the interactive touchscreen 230 or the AVES application 30 andimplements multi-hop routing to coordinate the present autonomousvehicle 20 and the alternative autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill the tripmodification request 505 according to the altered trip route 608.Artificial Intelligence System 130 executes the Matchmaking Algorithm toselect the alternative autonomous vehicle 20 to fulfill the tripmodification request 505 based on the altered trip route 608 andinformation in knowledge base 140, as described above with respect toride request 504.

The user may trigger an emergency alert 514 by using IVR System 220 orinteractive touchscreen 230. For example, IVR System 220 may beprogrammed to recognize certain keywords to initiate the emergencyprotocol. IVR system 220 may remain active during the duration of a tripto detect pre-programmed words to initiate the emergency protocol. AVESvehicle control system 210 sends the emergency alert 514 to AVES COC 100and AVES COC 100 initiates an emergency protocol. AVES COC 100 confirmsthat there is an emergency via IVR System 220 or interactive touchscreen230. If AVES COC 100 confirms that there is an emergency or receives noresponse at all, AVES COC 100 proceeds with the emergency protocol. AVESCOC 100 places an emergency 911 call and links the IVR System 220 in theautonomous vehicle to the emergency 911 call. An AVES COC 100 attendantmay also be linked to the emergency 911 call if needed to give locationinformation, etc. Also, AVES vehicle control system 210 activates IVRSystem's 220 microphone and speaker, interior and exterior cameras 260and the autonomous vehicle's interior lights to facilitate videomonitoring. The interior video camera 260 and the IVR System 220 areactivated so that an AVES COC 100 attendant can assess the useremergency and so that video and audio data may be stored in theautonomous vehicle's on-board memory. Interactive touchscreen 230 mayprovide “Go to Police Station” and “Go to Hospital” soft button choices.IVR System 220 may be programmed to recognize certain keywords toconfirm an emergency and the type of emergency (e.g., medicalemergency). AVES vehicle control system 210 may interrupt the autonomousvehicle's trip and guide the autonomous vehicle 20 to a police stationor hospital depending on the user input. An AVES COC 100 attendant willbe able to remotely halt or reroute the autonomous vehicle and give theautonomous vehicle's location if the hospital wishes to dispatch anambulance to meet the autonomous vehicle 20. AVES 10 will also have theability to directly forward the location information to a future 911system that can accept such information.

If an autonomous vehicle 20 is suddenly disabled during a trip, AVESvehicle control system 210 initiates a disabled vehicle protocol. AVESvehicle control system 210 will first attempt to guide the autonomousvehicle to a safe location (e.g., at the side of a road), activate thehazard flashers and notify AVES COC 100. AVES COC 100 automaticallypriority dispatches a substitute autonomous vehicle 20 and establishes acommunications link to the autonomous vehicle's passenger(s) via IVRSystem 220 and interior video camera 260 so that an AVES COC 100attendant can monitor the situation. This disabled vehicle protocoldiffers from present automatic vehicle notification systems in that asubstitute autonomous vehicle 20 is automatically dispatched, ratherthan simply notify the transportation network company of the disabledcondition of the autonomous vehicle 20.

In the event that AVES COC 100 fails or loses the communication link toAVES vehicle equipment 200, AVES vehicle control system 210 willinitiate a disabled system protocol. AVES vehicle control system 210directs autonomous vehicle 20 to complete the trip in progress, andstore the trip billing information in the autonomous vehicle's 20 localAVES memory until the communication link and/or AVES COC 100 is restoredto normal operation. Once the communication link and/or AVES COC 100 isrestored, AVES vehicle control system 210 sends the trip data to AVESCOC 100. AVES vehicle control system 210 directs autonomous vehicle 20to drive to the nearest fail-safe location or rest location, which arestored in the local AVES memory files. A failure in the GPS system willalso cause disabled system protocol to be initiated, with “deadreckoning” (e.g., compass and distance information) used to complete atrip in progress, or a move to a fail-safe location or rest location.

If an autonomous vehicle 20 reaches a desired intermediate stop locationor destination location and it is unable to stop (e.g., another vehicleoccupying that area, etc.), AVES vehicle control system 210 directsautonomous vehicle 20 to drive slightly past the desired intermediatestop location or destination location for a specified distance beforeautomatically looping back to attempt another stop at the desiredintermediate stop location or destination location. AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 activates IVR System 220 to ask the passenger whether theywould like to stop before the destination, circle around, stop past thedestination, or have an alternative stop location. Once the autonomousvehicle 20 has come to a stop at the desired intermediate stop locationor destination location, AVES vehicle control system 210 automaticallyunlocks the doors, announces the location via IVR System 220 anddisplays the location via interactive touchscreen 230.

AVES vehicle control system 210 activates IVR System 220 and interactivetouchscreen 230 prompts the user to confirm whether the user wishes toterminate the trip, wishes for the autonomous vehicle 20 to wait for theuser to return to the autonomous vehicle 20, or wishes to go to a newdestination. If the hailing user wishes for the autonomous vehicle 20 towait for the user to return to the autonomous vehicle 20, AVESapplication 300 stays active during this period to allow a re-summoningof the autonomous vehicle 20. If, at the conclusion of a trip, AVESvehicle control system 210 does not receive a response to the requestfor confirmation of the trip's conclusion within a specified time frame,AVES vehicle control system 210 repeats the confirmation attempt atprogressively louder volume levels and with flashing of the interiorlights. If AVES vehicle control system 210 does not receive a responseto the request for confirmation of the trip's conclusion and there is noindication that the doors have been opened, AVES vehicle control system210 activates an interior video camera and the IVR so that AVES COC 100can assess whether the user is still present in the autonomous vehicle20. The interconnection between AVES vehicle control system 210 and thecomputer system (e.g., CAN bus) of the autonomous vehicle 20, allowsAVES vehicle control system 210 to determine when the hailing user hasexited the autonomous vehicle 20 (e.g., detect when a vehicle door hasopened and closed). If AVES COC 100 detects an incapacitated passengerwho is still in the autonomous vehicle 20 and unable to respond, AVESCOC 100 initiates the emergency protocol.

The interconnection between AVES vehicle control system 210 and thecomputer system (e.g., CAN bus) of the autonomous vehicle 20, allowsAVES vehicle control system 210 to determine when items have been placedin the trunk of the autonomous vehicle 20 (e.g., detect when a trunk hasopened and closed). At the conclusion of a trip, if AVES vehicle controlsystem 210 determines that the trunk has been opened during the trip,AVES vehicle control system 210 activates IVR System 220 and interactivetouchscreen 230 to prompt the passenger(s) to make sure that anypersonal items have been removed from the trunk and to confirm that theyhave checked. If AVES vehicle control system 210 determines that thetrunk has been opened only once during the trip (thus precluding thepossibility that an item could have been placed in the trunk and thensubsequently removed), AVES vehicle control system 210 will directautonomous vehicle 20 remain at the destination location and continue toprompt the passenger(s) to make sure that any personal items have beenremoved from the trunk. Also, AVES vehicle control system 210 maydetermine whether items have been placed in the trunk by detectingwhether the trunk has been opened and closed. Additionally, AVES vehicleequipment 200 may include camera(s) 260 and/or sensor(s) 270 in thetrunk space of the autonomous vehicle, which are connected to AVESvehicle control system 210, for determining whether items have been leftbehind in the trunk. If, after a specified period of time, AVES vehiclecontrol system 210 does not receive confirmation that the passenger(s)checked the trunk, AVES vehicle control system 210 activates a videocamera and lights in the trunk so that AVES COC 100 can assess whetherany items are in the trunk. If an item is left behind in the trunk, thepassenger is notified. Also, sensor(s) 270 (e.g., infrared sensors) inthe trunk may be used to detect the presence of items in the trunkspace.

AVES 10 takes into consideration the security dangers of autonomousvehicles 20 being requested to drive into “restricted” areas. Just asthe F.A.A. designates “no-fly” zones around arenas, special events,etc., AVES 10 can also refuse to accept trip requests 504 to entercertain known restricted areas as a matter of course. Areas that aredeclared temporarily restricted by governing authorities (e.g., parades,marathons, etc.) are also accommodated by AVES COC 100.

Trip requests 504 to and from locations that have access controls (e.g.,gate operators, garage doors, guard stations, etc.) will requireadditional capabilities that AVES vehicle equipment 200 can beconfigured to provide. For remote-controlled access systems, AVESvehicle equipment 200 includes 300-400 MHz band transmitters that canoperate the controls using direct radio transmission of Security+2.0(rolling code), Intellicode, or other gate or garage door remote openerradio protocols to provide a seamless interface. AVES COC 100 may storeaccess codes to be stored as part of user record 500. Alternatively, auser may provide access codes via IVR System 220 and interactivetouchscreen 230. For those locations that have live security personnel,AVES vehicle equipment 200 include external loudspeakers and externalmicrophones to allow a user to communicate with security personnel viaIVR System 220 without having to open a window. Additionally, if anautonomous vehicle 20 is blocked by a gate (or similar impediment) atthe pickup location, AVES COC 100 may communicate with the user via AVESapplication 300 to inform the user that the autonomous vehicle iswaiting at the gate to be admitted.

AVES COC 100 may be integrated into a transportation network company'scentral facility or may operate as a “stand alone” facility that createsa “fleet of fleets” virtually combining existing independent fleets intoa single virtual fleet. AVES COC 100 may manage transportation services(e.g., dispatch, billing, etc.) for multiple transportation companies ina geographical area. AVES COC 100 may limit transportation services(e.g., dispatch, billing, etc.) for a particular transportation companyonly to those autonomous vehicles 20 in that particular transportationcompany's fleet. The sharing of fleet resources may be invisible to theuser in a similar way that airline “code-sharing” arrangements allow auser to book a trip through a particular airline, but the actual trip isfulfilled by another airline. Alternatively, the entire virtual fleetmay consist of individually owned single vehicles, or individually ownedfleets of vehicles.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention hasbeen presented for the purpose of illustration and description. It isnot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the formdisclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light ofthe above disclosure. The embodiments described were chosen to bestillustrate the principles of the invention and practical applicationsthereof to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize theinvention in various embodiments and with various modifications assuited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System (AVES)vehicle equipment configured to be installed on an autonomous vehicle,comprising: an AVES vehicle control system configured to be operablyconnected to a vehicle computer system of the autonomous vehicle, theAVES vehicle control system being in communication with an AVES CentralOperations Center (COC); an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systemincluding a microphone and speaker, the IVR being operatively connectedto the AVES vehicle control system for communicating with the AVES COC;and an interactive touchscreen operatively connected to the AVES vehiclecontrol system for communicating with the AVES COC; wherein the AVESvehicle control system transmits a vehicle ID, real-time vehiclelocation, real-time vehicle availability, real-time vehicle operationalstate, real-time vehicle condition and real-time vehiclefuel/power-charge level to the AVES COC; wherein the AVES vehiclecontrol system receives from the AVES COC an assigned user trip requestincluding unique trip ID, trip PIN and trip information; wherein thetrip information includes pickup location, pickup date/time, destinationlocation, any intermediate stop location(s) and trip route; wherein theAVES vehicle control system guides the autonomous vehicle to the pickuplocation at the pickup time by transmitting to the vehicle computersystem of the autonomous vehicle at least one of the trip informationand driving commands; wherein the IVR system and/or the interactivetouchscreen identifies the unique trip ID and prompts the user for thetrip PIN to authenticate the trip request; and wherein the AVES vehiclecontrol system guides the autonomous vehicle along the trip route afterreceiving the trip from the user and authenticating the trip request. 2.The AVES vehicle equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a360° scanning antenna that scans for a signal encoded with the uniquetrip ID, which is transmitted by an AVES application executed on a userdevice.
 3. The AVES vehicle equipment according to claim 2, wherein theAVES vehicle control system detects the signal encoded with the uniquetrip ID, guides the autonomous vehicle toward the user device, stops theautonomous vehicle and unlocks the doors of the autonomous vehicle at apre-determined signal level.
 4. The AVES vehicle equipment according toclaim 1, further comprising an interior video camera operativelyconnected to the AVES vehicle control system for sending images of theinterior of the autonomous vehicle to the AVES COC.
 5. The AVES vehicleequipment according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the IVR systemand the interactive touchscreen receives a user emergency alert andsends the user emergency alert to the AVES COC; and wherein the AVESvehicle control system initiates an emergency protocol where theinterior video camera and the IVR are activated so that AVES COC canassess the user emergency.
 6. The AVES vehicle equipment according toclaim 1, further comprising an omni-directional signal emitter thattransmits a signal encoded with the unique trip ID to be received by theAVES application executed on the user device.
 7. The AVES vehicleequipment according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the IVR systemand the interactive touchscreen receives a modification request from theuser to alter the trip information and sends the modification request toalter the trip information to the AVES COC.
 8. The AVES vehicleequipment according to claim 1, wherein the AVES vehicle control systemreceives an altered trip route from the AVES COC; and wherein at leastone of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreen prompts the userto accept or reject the altered trip route.
 9. The AVES vehicleequipment according to claim 1, wherein when the autonomous vehiclearrives at the destination location or intermediate stop location, atleast one of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreen prompts theuser to confirm whether the user wishes to terminate the trip, wishesfor the autonomous vehicle to wait for the user to return to theautonomous vehicle, or wishes to go to a new destination.
 10. The AVESvehicle equipment according to claim 9, wherein if the AVES vehiclecontrol system does not receive user confirmation about whether the userwishes to terminate the trip, wishes for the autonomous vehicle to waitfor the user to return to the autonomous vehicle, or wishes to go to anew destination, an interior video camera and the IVR are activated sothat AVES COC can assess whether the user is still present in theautonomous vehicle.
 11. The AVES vehicle equipment according to claim 1,wherein if the AVES vehicle control system detects that the autonomousvehicle is disabled or that the autonomous vehicle has an operationalmalfunction, the AVES vehicle control system activates the autonomousvehicle's hazard flashers, notifies the AVES COC that the autonomousvehicle is disabled or that the autonomous vehicle has an operationalmalfunction, activates an interior video camera and/or an exterior videocamera in the autonomous vehicle and attempts to guide the autonomousvehicle to a safe location.
 12. The AVES vehicle equipment according toclaim 1, wherein if the AVES vehicle control system loses communicationwith the AVES COC, the AVES vehicle control system guides the autonomousvehicle to complete the trip route and stores the trip information in alocal memory for billing purposes.
 13. The AVES vehicle equipmentaccording to claim 1, further comprising a trunk video camera and/or oneor more trunk sensors operatively connected to the AVES vehicle controlsystem for determining whether items are present in the trunk of theautonomous vehicle.
 14. A method of guiding an autonomous vehicle,comprising the steps of: providing Autonomous Vehicle Enhancement System(AVES) vehicle equipment configured to be installed on an autonomousvehicle; wherein the AVES vehicle equipment comprises: an AVES vehiclecontrol system configured to be operably connected to a vehicle computersystem of the autonomous vehicle, the AVES vehicle control system beingin communication with an AVES Central Operations Center (COC); anInteractive Voice Response (IVR) system including a microphone andspeaker, the IVR being operatively connected to the AVES vehicle controlsystem for communicating with the AVES COC; and an interactivetouchscreen operatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system forcommunicating with the AVES COC; the AVES vehicle control systemtransmitting a vehicle ID, real-time vehicle location, real-time vehicleavailability, real-time vehicle operational state, real-time vehiclecondition and real-time vehicle fuel/power-charge level to the AVES COC;the AVES vehicle control system receiving from the AVES COC an assigneduser trip request including unique trip ID, trip PIN and tripinformation; wherein the trip information includes pickup location,pickup date/time, destination location, any intermediate stoplocation(s) and trip route; wherein the AVES vehicle control systemguiding the autonomous vehicle to the pickup location at the pickup timeby transmitting to the vehicle computer system of the autonomous vehicleat least one of the trip information and driving commands; the IVRsystem and/or the interactive touchscreen identifying the unique trip IDand prompting the user for the trip PIN to authenticate the triprequest; and the AVES vehicle control system guiding the autonomousvehicle along the trip route after receiving the trip from the user andauthenticating the trip request.
 15. The method according to claim 14,wherein the AVES vehicle equipment further comprises a 360° scanningantenna; and further comprising the step of: the scanning antennascanning for a signal encoded with the unique trip ID, which istransmitted by an AVES application executed on a user device.
 16. Themethod according to claim 15, further comprising the step of: the AVESvehicle control system detecting the signal encoded with the unique tripID, guiding the autonomous vehicle toward the user device, stopping theautonomous vehicle and unlocking the doors of the autonomous vehicle ata pre-determined signal level.
 17. The method according to claim 14,wherein the AVES vehicle equipment further comprises an interior videocamera operatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system forsending images of the interior of the autonomous vehicle to the AVESCOC.
 18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the stepsof: at least one of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreenreceiving a user emergency alert and sending the user emergency alert tothe AVES COC; and the AVES vehicle control system initiating anemergency protocol where the interior video camera and the IVR areactivated so that AVES COC can assess the user emergency.
 19. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the AVES vehicle equipment furthercomprises a signal emitter; and further comprising the step of: theemitter transmitting a signal encoded with the unique trip ID to bereceived by the AVES application executed on the user device.
 20. Themethod according to claim 14, further comprising the step of: at leastone of the IVR system and the interactive touchscreen receiving amodification request from the user to alter the trip information andsending the modification request to alter the trip information to theAVES COC.
 21. The method according to claim 14, further comprising thesteps of: the AVES vehicle control system receiving an altered triproute from the AVES COC; and at least one of the IVR system and theinteractive touchscreen prompting the user to accept or reject thealtered trip route.
 22. The method according to claim 14, furthercomprising the step of: when the autonomous vehicle arrives at thedestination location or intermediate stop location, at least one of theIVR system and the interactive touchscreen prompting the user to confirmwhether the user wishes to terminate the trip, wishes for the autonomousvehicle to wait for the user to return to the autonomous vehicle, orwishes to go to a new destination.
 23. The method according to claim 22,further comprising the steps of: if the AVES vehicle control system doesnot receive user confirmation about whether the user wishes to terminatethe trip, wishes for the autonomous vehicle to wait for the user toreturn to the autonomous vehicle, or wishes to go to a new destination,the AVES vehicle control system activating an interior video camera andthe IVR so that AVES COC can assess whether the user is still present inthe autonomous vehicle.
 24. The method according to claim 14, furthercomprising the steps of: if the AVES vehicle control system detects thatthe autonomous vehicle is disabled or that the autonomous vehicle has anoperational malfunction, the AVES vehicle control system activating theautonomous vehicle's hazard flashers, notifying the AVES COC that theautonomous vehicle is disabled or that the autonomous vehicle has anoperational malfunction, the AVES vehicle control system activating aninterior video camera and/or an exterior video camera in the autonomousvehicle and attempting to guide the autonomous vehicle to a safelocation.
 25. The AVES vehicle equipment according to claim 14, furthercomprising the steps of: if the AVES vehicle control system losescommunication with the AVES COC, the AVES vehicle control system guidingthe autonomous vehicle to complete the trip route and storing the tripinformation in a local memory for billing purposes.
 26. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the AVES vehicle equipment furthercomprises a trunk video camera and/or one or more trunk sensorsoperatively connected to the AVES vehicle control system for determiningwhether items are present in the trunk of the autonomous vehicle; andand further comprising the step of: the AVES vehicle control systemreceiving a signal from the trunk video camera and/or one or more trunksensors indicating that an item is present in the trunk of theautonomous vehicle.